My niece recently had her 3rd birthday. Each year I have made her an outfit to wear at her birthday party. (1st Birthday & 2nd Birthday)
This year my sister-in-law chose a Doc McStuffins’ theme because my niece is really into that show and loves taking care of her stuffed animals.
We ran into a few issues trying to find fabrics that would work. I couldn’t believe how difficult finding purple striped fabric was.
So, we settled on a store-bought Doc McStuffins T-shirt and a tulle tutu.
My mom made a lab coat to complete the outfit for my niece. She seemed to be happy with her outfit.
If you would like to know how I made the tutu here are the instructions.
Supplies Needed
- 2-Six Inch Rolls of Tulle
- Elastic (3/4 inch or 1 inch)
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Cardboard
- 2 Rubber Bands
Instructions
1. Cut a piece of cardboard that is 22 inches long by at least 4-6 inches wide.
You will need to cut the cardboard longer if you wish for the tutu to be longer. However, this length was perfect for my 3-year-old niece.
2. Wrap one roll of tulle around the cardboard.
3. Place the rubber bands on opposite ends of the tulle like in the picture below.
The rubber bands keep the tulle in place which makes cutting much easier.
4. Cut through all of the layers of tulle on each short end of the cardboard.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 with the other roll of tulle.
6. Measure your child’s waist, or wrap the elastic around her waist.
7. Cut the elastic so that it is the same length as your child’s waist.
8. Using a sewing machine, sew the ends of the elastic together, overlapping the ends approximately 1/2 an inch.
You could also use either a hot glue gun or a safety pin if you don’t have a sewing machine.
9. Put the elastic around your leg, just above the knee, so that it is easier to tie on the tulle.
10. Take one strip of tulle at a time and slide it under the elastic making sure that it is centered.
11. Hold the two cut edges together and then slide them through the opening in the tulle.
12. Pull the tulle so that it is snug against the elastic and the knot is at the bottom of the elastic. (See picture below for more detail.)
13. Continue tying the tulle strips around the elastic until the tutu is as full as you would like it to be.
You can alternate colors or make the tutu all one color. The options for colors and patterns are endless.
I just love this little girl and I think she loved her tutu and Doc McStuffins’ party. (She even has naturally curly hair like me. 🙂 )
While I didn’t make Janna a tulle tutu for her birthday (It’s on my to-do list.), she does enjoy playing in the scrap fabric tutu I made her last year.
